How well they do during the biggest shopping season of the year will have lasting consequences not just on them, but the still-fragile economic recovery.

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This weekend, many stores will for the first time use midnight openings along with the usual bevy of deals as they try to lure consumers, whose appetite for good-buys has been increasing since the Great Recession.

Economists and business executives will be watching closely.

As usual, success will depend largely on consumer spending. It accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity. Their spending can impact stores' expansion plans and inventory decisions into the new year.

And that trickles through the rest of the economy, from suppliers to jobs.

Some stores are hoping that free gifts will bring in more customers.

The Old Navy at Jordan Creek Town Center is giving away 60 free digital cameras to the first customers who buy $40 in merchandise. Store Manager Amy Ridgway said she expected a line at the front door at midnight.

"It's to drive traffic. It's to get the word out that Old Navy is doing something different, and it's all about Old Navy fun," Ridgway said.

"Sometimes we catch them by surprise if they haven't been with us in a few years, and they are surprised to get a little gift," Dell-Anno said. "But we have customers who come back every year to add to their collections."

JC Penney expects to give away nearly 2 million of the ornaments.

Target is hoping to avoid crushing crowds by using a new metering system that allows small groups of about 30 people in the front doors every 20 seconds.

"The idea is to ensure all of our guests and shoppers this holiday season and for Black Friday are safe and have an orderly entry into our store and have an enjoyable shopping experience," Manager Alicia Hodges said.

Abercrombie and Fitch and Hollister stores are offering shirtless models at stores around the country, including Jordan Creek Town Center.